My Rando Load…

12042012

Clothing...

For the gearheads out there I thought I would share the state of the art in terms of my rando gear. It occurred to me as the recent 200K approached that I should streamline my kit down to the bare essentials, but I decided to stick with a general purpose load that would see me through pretty much any spring brevet on Vancouver Island.

Clothing:

wool long sleeve jersey

wind vest

wool 3/4 tights

wool leg warmers under tights [double layer over knees]

wool socks

SPD shoes

fleece gloves

ear warmer

helmet

rain jacket [in bar bag]

rain over gloves [in bar bag]

rain chaps [in bar bag]

rain shoe covers [in bar bag]

full finger bike gloves [in bar bag]

buff neck warmer [in vest pocket]

sunglasses [worn or in vest pocket]

For summer rides I would shift towards wool short sleeve jersey + arm warmers and wool shorts. I’d also skip the fleece gloves. I haven’t done any uber long rides [600K+], but if I did I would probably want a spare set of jersey/shorts/socks/gloves around the mid-point. Ideally in a drop bag so I don’t have to carry them.

I like wool for long events as it adapts to varying temps well and is warmer/comfier wet than synthetics. It also doesn’t get smelly as fast! I’ve had good luck with Ibex & Woolistics products.

Rain chaps are not as protective as rain pants, but vent better and are easier to use. I’m not likely to start a ride with all day rain forecast, but if I did I would likely get some rain pants. I would also add a waterproof helmet cover.

dilute Kool Aid in 2 water bottles [resupply along route with water + Gatorade mix]

2 sandwiches

2-3 packs of shot blocks energy chews

2-3 energy bars

carry $20 + credit card for food along route

eat at each control and grab water

If there are few controls and little resupply along route I will pack more water and food.

Lazy on the move...

This isn’t the most minimal nor the most excessive amount of rando gear folks carry. I think it strikes a good balance of being versatile and dealing with likely situations without needlessly weighing me down. It also handy to carry the same basic load on all brevets so you can just grab your bike and know you have what you need.

@Alan – I’ve never had a rando flat. On my other bikes I average about 1 flat every 2 years or so. However, given the importance of not DNFing a brevet to me I want to have everything I need for a few flats as well as a damaged tire. Within reason I don’t feel like a couple extra pounds changes my overall speed much.

@Alan – I find wider low pressure tires flat less often and I also find that some riders flat more often based on where on the road they ride and how they ride. My buddy get’s 2-5 times the flats I do on the same rides with the same bike/tires.

@alan. You wil get a flat, especially now you let the polybutyl gods in on your secret. Why avoid carrying a few ounces of reassurance–spare tube, levers, pump and risk walking?
@Vik, a good list, though IMO a bit on the heavy side for shorter brevets. I find I never need rain pants, as long as I have thick tights or leg warmers. Active legs put out a lot of heat and even in the heaviest rain my legs are never cold.
Keeping the core warm is imperative though, so good base layer is key, followed by jersey, a vest, and well-vented shell.
Feet are pretty much impossible to keep dry over the long haul in wet weather. I sometimes use two booties–a neoprene inner covered by a nylon shell, same as the ones you use … it will be a sad day when those Serratus (company started by an old climbing buddy) ones wear out.

@Ray – I don’t want to carry less on a shorter ride. That way I’m used to carrying the same basic load no matter how long I’m out there for.

I also had an unpleasant hypothermic experience on an easy Victoria area spring 200K when I left the rain chaps at home and counted on my wool tights to get me through the finish. I’m lucky the rain was in the last 50K or I would have DNF’d that ride.

18112012

John Hawrylak(17:03:16) :

HI
Saw your Boulder 650B on VeloWeb Readers Rando Bikes. Been considering one. 3 Questions if you don’t mind:
1. Are the tubes Standard Diameter or Oversized?
2. What is the wall thickness
3. Any shimmy with the 30mm of trail?
TIA
John Hawrylak
Woodstown NJ

1. tubes are skinny standard sized tubes
2. Do a search for Boulder All Road on my blog. I list the wall thicknesses in a few posts.
3. I have some shimmy, but I would say it’s because of a big frame with skinny thin walled tubes. Boulder Bikes probably won’t replicate my bike for that reason and would probably steer me to OS tubes if I was starting again. The shimymy is only when I ride hands free.